User Greetings

(NOTE: As a "user", this includes the account administrator.)

There are four greeting components: Personal, Voicemail, Recorded Name, and On-Hold Music.

Personal Greeting

The Personal Greeting is the first thing your callers hear when dialing your eVoice number, before the system handles their calls. You can use it if you choose (on the Settings> Call Settings page) one of the first two (out of five) When Someone Calls Me inbound-call settings—namely, the caller hears:

A greeting, his or her name is recorded, then the caller hears on-hold music (Known as call-screening)

A greeting, then on-hold music

An on-hold message or music, only

"Connecting call", followed by ringing

Ringing only

If you choose either of the first two settings above, then:

The default personal greeting for the first setting will be: Hi. You've reached the personal assistant for [your name here]. Please tell me your name, and I'll try to connect you.—followed by a beep. (For your name, see Recorded Name below.) Once the caller leaves a name, the system plays a prompt—Please wait while I try to connect you.—followed by on-hold music or a custom on-hold message.

The default personal greeting for the second setting will be: Hi. You've reached the personal assistant for [your name here]. Please wait while I try to connect you. (For your name, see Recorded Name below.)

You can use either one. Or, you can create your own (i.e., custom) greeting via:

Greeting

Description

Automated Voice

You provide the text transcript, and a computerized voice greeting is automatically generated by the eVoice system.

Professionally Recorded

A studio-based voice actor speaks your greeting text or name. Professional greetings are $25 for messages up to 125 words in length. A $5 fee is charged for every additional 25 (or fewer) words over this limit.

Administrator: An attendant's professional greeting is free if submitted within seven days after sign-up. After seven days, you can provide an edited greeting (via "Change an Auto-Attendant's Business Greeting" in Change an Auto-Attendant's Business/After-Hours Greeting(s)) that will be charged as a new greeting.

Professional-greeting requests for recorded names are $5 for a maximum of five words.

TIPS: When ordering this greeting:

Follow all on-screen instructions. Be sure to enter the exact text you want the speaker to read.

To ensure proper pronunciation, spell out any challenging names or words phonetically.

You may have your greeting or name recorded in a language other than English. Use the drop-down menu (below the greeting's script box) to choose the language you want. (For more language options, contact Customer Support.)

Be sure to check the Accept Charges box before clicking the Submit button.

Allow 2-3 business days for activation (possibly longer, if recorded in a language other then English).

Own Uploaded File

Your recording can be a custom greeting or voicemail message—or your own on-hold music. To upload your own recording, see Upload Your Own Greeting File.

The custom greeting may be up to five minutes in length—or up to 10 MB in size if uploaded. (To create a custom greeting, see Change Your Business Greeting.)

IMPORTANT! If your call setting is the first option (i.e., call screening), then―in any custom greeting you create, we recommended that you include a prompt for the caller to first leave his or hername afterthe "beep" before being connected to you. This ensures that the caller does not interpret the "beep" as a signal to just leave a voicemail.

Voicemail Greeting

The voicemail greeting is what callers hear when sent to your voicemail (if you aren’t available when they dial your extension or direct-dial number).

The default voicemail greeting is: [Your name here] is not available at the moment. Sending you to voicemail. Begin speaking at the tone. (NOTE: For your name, see Recorded Name below.) But, you can create your own (i.e., custom) greeting via the same methods indicated in the table above.

The custom greeting may be up to five minutes in length—or up to 10MB in size, if uploaded. (To create a custom greeting, see Change Your Business Greeting.)

On-Hold Music (or Message)

When your callers are put on hold (while the system attempts to forward calls to you) after dialing your extension or direct-dial number, they hear on-hold music (or a message). (The default on-hold music is Take Five by the Dave Brubeck Quartet.) But, you can upload your own music/message (10 MB is the maximum file size) to use, instead. (To upload your own music/message, see via Change Your Business Greeting).

Recorded Name

Your recorded name is used in your personal and voicemail greetings (when callers dial your extension or direct-dial number).

You can use the default recorded name (i.e., your full name, as provided during sign-up)—OR you can do your own recording via automated-voice or a professional recording (you provide the text for either) or via your own uploaded message. (See Change Your Business Greeting.) NOTE: There is a $5 charge for having your name professionally recorded, five words maximum. The maximum length of this recording is 15 seconds.

Auto-/Sub-Attendant Greetings

The account administrator is in control of greetings for auto-attendants and sub-attendants. He or she can choose to either keep the provided default business greeting—or create a custom message via automated-voice, or a professional recording, with text he or she provides—or via an uploaded message). (See the table above for more information about these custom-greeting types.)